E.V. input sought on proposed highway projects

Open houses to be held before studies assess routes’ environmental impact

By J. CRAIG ANDERSON TRIBUNE
CONTACT WRITER: (480) 898-5936 or canderson@aztrib.com

   Two planned freeway projects that would help relieve congestion for Pinal County residents in the East Valley are about to undergo environmental studies, which ultimately will determine their exact routes and the impact of those pathways on existing development.
   As a precursor to those studies, the Arizona Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration are seeking the public’s input and will hold three open house meetings in Gold Canyon and Mesa throughout the coming week.
   The meetings will focus on the possible environmental impact of a planned U.S. 60 bypass around Gold Canyon and the future state Route 802, also known as Williams Gateway Freeway.
   The meetings’ agendas, though, don’t include figuring out how Pinal County will pay for its share of those projects, a question that remains unanswered.
   Each meeting will include a presentation by transportation officials about proposed routes and the areas to be studied. Attendees also can view maps of the study areas and give comments.
   The first meeting today in Gold Canyon will address plans to construct a 13-mile-long extension of U.S. 60 that would likely curve south of Gold Canyon and reconnect with the existing freeway just west of the state Route 79 interchange at Florence Junction.
   ADOT spokesman Doug Nintzel said the agency will provide preliminary engineering diagrams that show potential bypass locations but not a specific route.
   There also is no funding source designated in Pinal County to actually build the U.S. 60 “re-route,” he added, which means its actual construction schedule still is undetermined.
   Williams Gateway Freeway’s future is somewhat more secure, but only as far as the Maricopa-Pinal county line.
   Maricopa County’s 20-year Regional Transportation Plan includes $203 million over a five-year period beginning in 2016 to construct the freeway, which is intended to connect Loop 202’s Santan Freeway with Williams Gateway Airport and then extend east into Pinal County, where it could connect with either U.S. 60 or state Route 79.
   But as with the Gold Canyon project, there is no designated funding source in Pinal County to construct its portion of the freeway.
   Meetings Who: Arizona Department of Transportation; Federal Highway Administration
What: U.S. 60 Gold Canyon bypass open house meeting
When: 6-8 p.m. today* Where: Peralta Trail Elementary School, 10965 E. Peralta Road, Gold Canyon
Why: Receive public input on planned U.S. 60 route around Gold Canyon
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Who: Arizona Department of Transportation; Federal Highway Administration
What: Williams Gateway Freeway open house meetings
When: 6-8 p.m. Thursday*; 6-8 p.m. Tuesday*
Where: ASU Polytechnic Student Union, 7001 E. Williams Field Road, Building 195 East, Mesa (Thursday only); Gold Canyon Best Western, 8333 E. Sunrise Sky Drive, Gold Canyon (Tuesday only)
Why: Receive public input on planned state Route 802 Williams Gateway Freeway
Information: Call Javier Gurrola at (602) 712-7687 or Annette Riley at (602) 712-7196.
*6:30 p.m. presentation at each meeting